AEW needs more squash matches for faces

[The anti-ratings Luddite]

I love when there's an epic match that's 30 minutes or more and they're cardio workouts to watch, let alone be in...

but sometimes, especially for newer and debuting talent, you need a "Get your shit in, and look like a killer" match where you murk someone in 5 minutes or less. 

Heels get it, because it's an easy way to build a monster, but at least for talent that are debuting as babyfaces, I think it'd certainly help them seem more credible. 

[daaave]

Tbf Swerve and Shibata had ones last night

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

Yeah good timing on this, Swerve and Shibata just had them and it worked out well

[The Ichi]

It's why Wardlow works best as a face.

[Bo Rida]

Usually I want squashes kept to a minimum but this is something I agree with.

The potential new big star struggling with a low carder has long been a pet peeve.

Even those debuting higher need to get their move set over first.
It's great building a match around reversals and counters to regular moves but that only works if you actually know what they are.

[The anti-ratings Luddite]

Mar 21, 2024 17:29:38 GMT -5 Bo Rida said:

Usually I want squashes kept to a minimum but this is something I agree with.

The potential new big star struggling with a low carder has long been a pet peeve.

Even those debuting higher need to get their move set over first.
It's great building a match around reversals and counters to regular moves but that only works if you actually know what they are.

Ospreay and Kyler Fletcher is honestly what made me have this thought. 

I get that Fletcher is Ospreay's boy and undoubtedly wanted him to look good, and also have "The epic match" to get started in AEW proper, but that match should have been a shorter and more lopsided affair where Fletcher put up a good showing, but was clearly not The Ace that Ospreay is. 

Basically, should have been 10 minutes, Fletcher doesn't look completely outclassed, but mostly a showcase for Ospreay to get his shit in and look like he could challenge Samoa Joe tomorrow for the title.

[polarbearpete]

One of the tropes that I’ve kind of grown tired of in AEW is the random lower card talent taking main event star to the limit in a 15 minute 2 segment match with no doubt as to the winner. There are typically multiple of those booked each week so I’ve been happy to see Khan might be moving away from that and towards more matches with people on the same level against each other and towards shorter matches between those that aren’t on the same level.

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

Mar 21, 2024 17:29:38 GMT -5 Bo Rida said:

Usually I want squashes kept to a minimum but this is something I agree with.

The potential new big star struggling with a low carder has long been a pet peeve.

Even those debuting higher need to get their move set over first.
It's great building a match around reversals and counters to regular moves but that only works if you actually know what they are.

This has been an issue for me with AEW from literally day one - I remember in the Cody v Darby Allin match, Darby went for a coffin drop and Cody moved so Darby took a sick bump, and to those of us that had never seen Darby work it just made it look like he gave himself a horrible bump for no reason

[dbsot]

Mar 21, 2024 18:34:00 GMT -5 The anti-ratings Luddite said:

Mar 21, 2024 17:29:38 GMT -5 Bo Rida said:

Usually I want squashes kept to a minimum but this is something I agree with.

The potential new big star struggling with a low carder has long been a pet peeve.

Even those debuting higher need to get their move set over first.
It's great building a match around reversals and counters to regular moves but that only works if you actually know what they are.

Ospreay and Kyler Fletcher is honestly what made me have this thought. 

I get that Fletcher is Ospreay's boy and undoubtedly wanted him to look good, and also have "The epic match" to get started in AEW proper, but that match should have been a shorter and more lopsided affair where Fletcher put up a good showing, but was clearly not The Ace that Ospreay is. 

Basically, should have been 10 minutes, Fletcher doesn't look completely outclassed, but mostly a showcase for Ospreay to get his shit in and look like he could challenge Samoa Joe tomorrow for the title.

The only problem I have with your example is that Ospreay isn't some heavyweight that will murk someone. Heck, Fletcher is bigger at 6'4", he is extremely athletic for his size, and he is a current ROH champion. I would agree with you if Ospreay was facing someone like Rocky Romero though.

They actually did something similar with Swerve basically squashing the Kingdom. It sort of helped Swerve, but it did way more damage to the ROH tag champions and the UK as a whole.

[Bang Bang Bart]

Mar 21, 2024 16:34:53 GMT -5 The Ichi said:

It's why Wardlow works best as a face.

Pretty much. The reason that Wardlow’s face run didn’t pan out wasn’t because of the squashes, it was because he got stuck with crap feuds that went nowhere.

[mystermystery]

Mar 27, 2024 8:02:19 GMT -5 "Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay said:

Mar 21, 2024 17:29:38 GMT -5 Bo Rida said:

Usually I want squashes kept to a minimum but this is something I agree with.

The potential new big star struggling with a low carder has long been a pet peeve.

Even those debuting higher need to get their move set over first.
It's great building a match around reversals and counters to regular moves but that only works if you actually know what they are.

This has been an issue for me with AEW from literally day one - I remember in the Cody v Darby Allin match, Darby went for a coffin drop and Cody moved so Darby took a sick bump, and to those of us that had never seen Darby work it just made it look like he gave himself a horrible bump for no reason

I'd never seen Darby before, so my reaction to that was "Oh no, that man is dead" which feels almost hilariously understated compared to what I've seen from him since then.

[Doo Doo is Worse Than WCW 2000]

I agree. Action Andretti should be getting squashed a lot more.

[UN PLOMBIER NIGHTMARE #blm]

I think you should have wrestlers sit on each other and refuse to move once the next match starts, so by the time the main event comes along there are 4 or 5 sitting squasher piles. Tony Khan is too much of a wimp to try this

[Vice honcho room temperature]

Its because its easy TV time filler.